Lee Morof's Real Estate Blog

There are numerous steps that must be taken to properly stage a home, and some sellers can easily become overwhelmed by all of the tips and steps they have been told to follow. It may be acceptable to skip over some of the steps to save time or money when staging a home, but there are some mistakes that homeowners can make that can have negative results.

Leaving Personal Hygiene Items Out

A common staging tip relates to storing all personal items out of site, and the reason for this is so that home buyers can see themselves living in the home as opposed to feeling as though they are in someone else’s home. However, some homeowners will leave personal hygiene items out, such as a razor, shampoo, a toothbrush and other items. These are highly personal items that can easily make a home buyer feel uncomfortable walking through the home.

Allowing Controversial Items To Be Seen

In addition, some homeowners will leave controversial items out, and these can distract a buyer, annoy them or even infuriate them if the items are controversial enough. Home buyers should feel welcome in a home and should leave without any negative feelings. Everything from posters to refrigerator magnets that may be even slightly tainted with controversy should be removed.

Leaving Valuable Items In Plain Sight

For homeowners who have some valuable possessions, it may be best to store these away or even to remove them entirely from the home. Keep in mind that buyers will be negotiating with sellers at least once and often several times during the process, and the last thing a seller wants is for the buyer to have the impression that the seller can afford to make concessions and to negotiate more freely.

Keeping Closets And Cabinets Cluttered

Closets and cabinets are common storage areas that are used to hide much of the clutter that most people keep on dressers, counters and shelves when staging a home, but storing items in these areas can backfire. Buyers will open closets and cabinets to inspect storage space, and a home can appear to be lacking in storage space when these areas are cluttered.

Properly staging a home is an important step to take to prepare a home for sale. A trusted real estate agent can provide a homeowner with additional staging tips customized to his or her home. Consider setting up a consultation with your real estate professional to discuss staging ideas before listing a home on the market.